55528 réponses à ce sujet

[BleedingUranium]

Reposting... for science!

What if the Crucible is both a mass indoctrination device, and our means of winning?

The Crucible turns out to be a mass indoctrination device, one that, when connected to the Citadel Relay, would spread it's indoctrination-ness throughout the entire galaxy. Not long after waking up, Shepard (& co) learn of this and attempt to stop it. Rather than destroying it, they come up with a better plan: sabotage it. I'm not going to attempt at details, but basically they'd reverse the Crucible's effects, resulting in an anti-indoctrination weapon, thus freeing all the people under the Reaper's control, notably the indoctrinated civilians turned into Cerberus troops, as well as, according to my other theory, the Reapers themselves! My "Reapers are indoctrinated" idea is key here, obviously, otherwise it wouldn't really help us. We know Reaper tech indoctrinates, so it's not much of a stretch to think that they Reapers themselves are too. Whether they did it to themselves (by accident) like TIM and Saren, or by their creators, etc, that doesn't matter. What matters (for this) is that they are.

-How could the Reapers not know about the Crucible? Solved!
-How do we defeat the Reapers without some kind of super weapon type thing? Solved!

Also, I've yet to see another idea adress both of these points


It would also reinforce the that the enemy we've been fighting throughout the entire series is actually indoctrination, both on a personal (Shepard) level, and as a galaxy.

-Geth Heretics: Indoctrinated
-Some ME1 side missions: Indoctrinated
-Benezia & Co: Indoctrinated
-Saren: Indoctrinated
-Collectors: Indoctrinated
-Some ME2 side missions: Indoctrinated
-Kenson & Co: Indoctrinated
-Some ME3 side missions: Indoctrinated
-Cerberus: Indoctrinated
-Kai Leng: Indoctrinated
-Illusive Man: Indoctrinated



The vast majority of our time in ME1/2/3 is spent fighting indoctrinated agents, not Reapers, and that doesn't even touch all the times it's talked about and such.

Modifié par BleedingUranium, 23 juillet 2012 - 12:29 .

[Arian Dynas]

Chriz Tah Fah wrote...

 For the whole "theres no time to explain" poo that the kid gives us he could at least have pointed out that "you will bleed out soon, a decision must be made." This would have partly fixed the brat not explaining everything. However, this entire point is voided because Shepard is no longer bleeding after going up the elevator for some reason even though she was bleeding before . However, with the breath scene it would have been too obvious if the brat said "make a decision before you bleed out" and then you live anyway. It's dumb. If anything was lazy/bad writing it was that part.

 
Or; "I'm running out of time. Make a desicion before you wake up and I lose my window."

[smokingotter1]

Hey all,

I'm still working on my masterpiece overlay theory. I've been doing a lot of talk but not a lot of show, but not today. I figured it was time for me to share some of my findings.

I do have something very very cool to share with the class. It's time for show and tell.



Doing some audio editing I created a youtube upload where I added regular train sounds, than I added the catalyst 2 song sped up about 300%. Try to tell when the train sounds stops and the catalyst 2 song beings. Video is here.

Also got me thinking of the "control" ending. Where have I seen control levers like that? The only place you commonly find levers like that is on a train:



The time dilation and train imagery I think is a strong reference to the movie "Inception." What does the train symbolize in "Inception"

Quote:

"One of this summer’s biggest blockbusters, Inception, has left its audiences felling a mixture of excitement, confusion, and amazement. After watching a movie a few times, I noticed a prevalent symbol
throughout the film—trains.

In the opening scene of the film, the characters experience their  first dream sequence while aboard a train. When they first enter into Fischer’s dream, his trained mental defense produces a freight train  which bursts through the center of a busy city street. When Mal and Cobb commit suicide in limbo, they place their heads on train tracks,  waiting for the train to come. One of the most famous lines in the movie, “I'll tell you a riddle.  You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where this train will  take you?” The line was delivered by Mal and later repeated by Cobb.

After the film, I pondered the possible meanings of the theme of trains. Here were the conclusions I came to: The train is a symbol of journey. The journey through dreams, life,  and love. For Mal, she wanted nothing more than to ride “the train” away with Cobb to a deeper level of love and reality. The train is a symbol of control. Cobb consistently tries to control  his fate. Mal tries to control Cobb with the analogy of the train. 

Fischer tries to control his mind by using the train as a defense. The train is a symbol to contrast and emphasize human frailty. I  think, more than the other symbols, this is the most prevalent one. For  much of the movie, the idea of Cobb losing control continues to arise, revealing his frailty as a person. In many of the high-intensity scenes  in which the trains are prevalent, the characters have little control  over the outcome and are at the disposal of their surroundings. Cobb, in the beginning of the film mentions he “hates trains.” Of course he
does, the trains exploit his frailty and point out his lack of control."

Source (emphasis mine)

Ladies and gentlemen of the court. I will this week attempt to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the choices given to Shepard in the decision chamber is an ultimatum from the reapers that mirrors the ultimatum given to John Proctor in the play "the crucible", that is of submission or death and the train sounds represents Shepard's loss of control. Furthermore the imagery from the decision chamber prove that it is an overlay of what is happening to Shepard in reality. I will argue that the words "catayst" and "inception" have overlapping meanings and the decision chamber is the inception process that allows the reapers to finalize Shepard's indoctrination.

Finally I will argue that since Mac Walters and Casey Hudson exclusively wrote the ending they have kept staff and even main writers in the dark meaning only Mac, Casey, and a humble anonymous sea otter knows the full meaning of the ending. That the Mass Effect 3 ending is one of the most brilliantly crafted works of story telling even trumping Bioshock.

Modifié par smokingotter1, 23 juillet 2012 - 04:09 .

[Starbuck8]

SwobyJ wrote...

From my thread (and THANK YOU to certain ITers for providing the video):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know some of the forumites have seen (or even made) this video, but it STILL strikes me after all these weeks.



The song is perfect for it though. Here's the lyrics.

"Missa ignis, missa ultoris
(gather the fire, gather vengance - rough translation)
Missa presteris et saltatus (gather the whirlwind dance - rough translation

See the beauty of the world
In a clear vermilion sky
One day, one day

Plant the trees to cut them down
Burn my city to the ground
Count seconds - steal the time
Waste your words to build a rhyme
For all holes in me to fill
I need the newborn lives to...
Pray my true amens
After fire roses dance"

Ha. This is the ending, pretty much.

"See
the beauty of the world" = remember the connections you have made with
organics or even synthetics. This is not a battle between each of them,
but a battle against both uniformity and forced control over others.

"Plant the trees to cut them down" = This is what the Reapers do. It is their purpose, still.

"Burn my city to the ground" = A challenge to the Reapers, that they may estinguish organics, but we will resist.

"Count seconds - to steal the time" = The Reapers control the cycle and the how and when of what organics do

"Waste
your words to build a rhyme" = The Reapers possibly indoctrinate
themselves, and their certainty in themselves is both their strength,
and their weakness. The 'Catalyst' itself is also likely faulty, wasting
its own words and arguments on Shepard. The 'rhyme' isn't even a rhyme,
as much as the Reapers wish to make it so.

"For all holes in me to fill
I need the newborn lives to...
Pray my true amens"
-The
sacrifice of so many millions, billions, trillions of people, just to
prove their point (that co-existance between organics and synthetics is
impossible), to show that they are in the right (using forced
indoctrination), and continue their existance as gods (when they are
actually roaming parasites).


Thanks to whoever made this, as
it is Indoctrination Theory in a nutshell. The Reapers SO BADLY want to
prove to the universe that they are the masters of it. Their experience
is the opposite of the geth now (especially if you forge peace between
them and the quarians), and I'm looking forward to the Leviathan DLC,
which would imo likely show just how misguided the Reapers are/Catalyst
is, and how they are still more akin to the sidequest AI on the Citadel
in ME1, rather than the self-realized geth of ME2-3, and especially the
enlightened EDI of ME3. They'll blow up the universe before even coming
close to truly attempting to come to peace with organics... and the
consequence was likely cascadingly more disasterous with each cycle. By
now, they deserve the 100% designation of abominations, and they simply
will have to be destroyed. Even the Geth and EDI would agree with this.

http://youtu.be/h04w3Y3QDLw?t=9m26s
It's not over.

That's our own HellishFiend's video

[byne]

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

[Simon_Says]

http://social.biowar.../2068#13272883' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>@SubAstris: Were you intentionally trying to sound dense?

SubAstris wrote…
Your assumption here is that they chose the form of the kid because Shepard felt some emotional attachment , I'm saying the Catalyst chose it because it was non-threatening. All I am saying is that the fact that the Catalyst is used in the nightmares and he appears at the end aren't necessarily linked.

I wrote…
If they didn't extrapolate this and the Catalyst chose to use the Earthchild's image for a different reason, what then is the reason it specifically chose the Earthchild and not something else? And to what purpose exactly?

Again, “to appear nonthreatening” is not a goal or a purpose, it’s always a means to another goal. For instance: “I will appear nonthreatening in order to disarm Shepard’s hostility towards reapers.” “I will appear nonthreatening in order to convince Shepard that I’m not their enemy.” “I will appear nonthreatening so that Shepard doesn’t suspect that I am leading them into a trap.”

Note that each of these lines can go either way, IT or literal. Note that they don’t actually contradict the scenario where the Catalyst isn’t an antagonist and is genuinely interested in providing the galaxy a brighter tomorrow. But if you consider additional information from the series that scenario becomes implausible.

SubAstris wrote…
BW need Shepard off the planet, they can't have him dying in the first quarter of an hour.

So apparently narrative consequence does rule the plot. (i.e. the plot takes precedence over realism) Explain then from a literary standpoint how and why the Starchild's image as the Earthchild is just a coincidence and should be treated as such. *BZZT* If you even started to answer that question seriously you’re obviously missing a crucial point: There is a definite story arc within ME3 regarding the child and the dreams. This story arc is obviously meant to be significant to the overall plot considering how it opens and closes the game. Unless the ‘coincidence’ is lampshaded as such, there has to be a plot-significant link as far as the Catalyst taking the Earthchild’s appearance is concerned.

And “because Bioware needed a plot” is a weak argument. Like, vapour has more structural integrity than that. Disregarding that Bioware could have written the scene differently, disregarding that the Normandy was never shown evading enemy notice when it was in visual range (without an explanation for the feat), your argument hinges on involving conditions outside the realm of the narrative. IT is about making ME3 internally self-consistent thematically and logically. We could always accept “bad writing” for explanations but we choose not to. If you want to reduce everything you can down to “bad writing” you’re in the wrong thread entirely.

SubAstris wrote…
We can't know for sure, the only evidence we can use is his words, and they seem to suggest that has in fact changed, and there is little evidence that he hasn't in fact changed.

Exactly. We only have his word to go on. The word of an entity that openly associates itself with the planet raping cuttlefish. And thanks for, you know, not providing your evidence for your claims, or actually countering the arguments for the claim that the Catalyst hadn’t changed. Because…

-It maintains a fallacious argument about organic/synthetic conflicts.
-It maintains a fallacious argument about the reapers being a solution to the previous fallacious argument.
-It supports choices which are ideologically identical to the aspirations of two major villains of the franchise.

This is not ‘minor evidence’. These are fundamentals of the character. What they and other dialogue with the Catalyst suggest is not that the Catalyst changed its purpose or motivations, just that “a new solution” was apparently required. “Solutions” which are all very suspect themselves.

SubAstris wrote…
As for the last point, I realise the Catalyst has done wrong, but it's odd that having done all that he would be frank about all considering he wants to portray himself as a "good guy" in your eyes.

No sh*t, Sherlock. Of course it’s odd. That’s why we’re suspicious. The Catalyst was the enemy. It cannot deny this because it was self-evident. Now he’s trying to be non-antagonistic towards Shepard by trying to justify the unjustifiable so the question becomes why?

I wrote…
The Catalyst is manipulating Shepard. The Catalyst was the enemy. "Innocent until proven guilty" does not apply here.

SubAstris wrote…
Why not? You have to come from somewhere when assessing the validity and truthfulness of someone's statement, why does that suddenly not apply here? Presumably you agree with the principle when it comes to real people, right?

“Innocent until proven guilty” is the correct principle when you’re trying to ascertain whether a subject is guilty or not, when you don’t have incontrovertible evidence that they are guilty to begin with. The Catalyst openly associates itself with the reapers (“I embody the collective intelligence of all reapers.”). It openly accepts responsibility for the reapers’ actions and existence (“they are my solution”). It’s pleaded guilty already. The burden of proof is not now on it to convince us that despite its past crimes it can be trusted. And it failed.

SubAstris wrote…
Of course his arguments don't hold up to scrutiny, if they did what would be the point fighting the Reapers? The fact is that circumstances have changed and now new paths are open.

And we don’t have any information to conclude for certain that those new paths are in our interests. And we have plenty of reason to believe that two of them, the ones the Catalyst supports, aren’t. And we have no way to conclude for certain that the choices we were presented is in fact the one we were actually making. And plenty of reason to believe that they weren’t.

The reapers have repeatedly demonstrated deception and subversion throughout the series. To conclude that the entity that claims to be their leader/creator/guiding force wouldn’t is, in a word, stupid.

SubAstris wrote…
Just because it is wrong doesn't necessarily imply it is lying but made a genuine mistake, albeit one that killed trillions of beings.

So according to you the Catalyst’s crimes are analogous to manslaughter and not murder. If the Catalyst wasn’t evil then it’s certainly criminally negligent. How does this make the Catalyst and its new solutions trustworthy? If it committed an error of analysis and error and judgment because of that (which, according to it, it did), and it maintains that same error of analysis (which it does), how can you conclude its new judgments are not also in error?

I can only conclude Sub that you want the Catalyst to be trustworthy. You want to believe that you weren’t deceived or used. You want to think that what you saw was what you got. And you’re afraid you made a mistake so you try, desperately, to convince the people who say that you did that you didn’t. Except you consistently fail to manage to put forward a proper, well thought out argument for how what you believe could be true complete with justification and evidence, in a manner that would be thematically consistent with the story. Unfortunately, since you can’t justify your arguments, your opinion is lacking.

TLDR: Try again.

[paxxton]

I just don't know what to write here so I'll post random stuff.

Modifié par paxxton, 23 juillet 2012 - 12:49 .

[BleedingUranium]

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Running around is way more fun. BansheeOwnage, CoolioThane, and I beat Platinum yesterday with three Furys and an Asari Adept (I don't have the Fury yet), and one of the Furys was a random! We did three Platinum games; in the first two we got 3/4 targets on wave 10 and failed, but then extracted the third!

[Nightingale]

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

[byne]

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have everything but the Fury.

The Slayer does not have Nova, so he is entirely irrelevant to me.

[Simon_Says]

Byne, the Slayer can teleport through walls.

Interested now?

[byne]

Simon_Says wrote...

Byne, the Slayer can teleport through walls.

Interested now?

Not really. Thats nowhere near as awesome as Nova.

[smokingotter1]

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have a long post above, (probably too long) but here is the tl;dr:

I've added the catalyst 2 song sped up about 300%. Try to tell when the train sounds stops and the catalyst 2 song beings. Video is here. My first youtube upload and audio edit.

Puts this photo into context, the control handles resemble common train control handles.

[paxxton]

smokingotter1 wrote...

*snip*

Looking forward to your proof. The way you put it (sociology major apparently pays off) makes it seem like a great read is coming up soon. 

[Nightingale]

byne wrote...

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have everything but the Fury.

The Slayer does not have Nova, so he is entirely irrelevant to me.

Ah, nice. You have a point with Nova. That's the reason if I play Vanguard I use Human but...I don't know, playing as a Phantom just seems fun. I've only been doing Gold and Platinum lately and I have to say I'm impressed with the new characters. Good luck with Fury, she's actually a really fun character. I've been using the new ones almost exclusively and almost always get to extraction with her. Teleporting through walls is fun. It's almost like playing as a Banshee, minus the whole grab-you-through-walls-and-murder-you thing

[Nightingale]

smokingotter1 wrote...

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have a long post above, (probably too long) but here is the tl;dr:

I've added the catalyst 2 song sped up about 300%. Try to tell when the train sounds stops and the catalyst 2 song beings. Video is here. My first youtube upload and audio edit.

Puts this photo into context, the control handles resemble common train control handles.

Huh, very interesting. Any ideas on what it means?

[smokingotter1]

paxxton wrote...

smokingotter1 wrote...

*snip*

Looking forward to your proof. The way you put it (sociology major apparently pays off) makes it seem like a great read is coming up soon. 

I hope so... man it took me an embarrasingly long time to do a simple audio edit. IT is forcing me to learn some computer skills.

[byne]

DrTsoni wrote...

Ah, nice. You have a point with Nova. That's the reason if I play Vanguard I use Human but...I don't know, playing as a Phantom just seems fun. I've only been doing Gold and Platinum lately and I have to say I'm impressed with the new characters. Good luck with Fury, she's actually a really fun character. I've been using the new ones almost exclusively and almost always get to extraction with her. Teleporting through walls is fun. It's almost like playing as a Banshee, minus the whole grab-you-through-walls-and-murder-you thing

I think the Shadow is much more phantom like than the Slayer. I mean, it uses the phantom model and has invisibility.

Nova allows me to take on tons of enemies at once.

I only died on gold after the geth finally managed to outnumber me.

Human vanguards count as enough people that they are only outnumbered when attacked by two primes, three pyros, and two hunters at once. Anything less than that is easy. And even then, they only got me down because they closed in around me and left me no room to roll.

[smokingotter1]

DrTsoni wrote...

smokingotter1 wrote...

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have a long post above, (probably too long) but here is the tl;dr:

I've added the catalyst 2 song sped up about 300%. Try to tell when the train sounds stops and the catalyst 2 song beings. Video is here. My first youtube upload and audio edit.

Puts this photo into context, the control handles resemble common train control handles.

Huh, very interesting. Any ideas on what it means?

I'll quote a quote I quoted in a previous post (quoteception)

The time dilation and train imagery I think is a strong reference to the movie "Inception." What does the train symbolize in "Inception" here is an article I found:

"One of this summer’s biggest blockbusters, Inception, has left its  audiences felling a mixture of excitement, confusion, and amazement.  After watching a movie a few times, I noticed a prevalent symbol  throughout the film—trains.

In the opening scene of the film, the characters experience their  first  dream sequence while aboard a train. When they first enter into  Fischer’s dream, his trained mental defense produces a freight train   which bursts through the center of a busy city street. When Mal and Cobb commit suicide in limbo, they place their heads on train tracks,   waiting for the train to come. One of the most famous lines in the  movie, “I'll tell you a riddle.  You're waiting for a train. A train  that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will  take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not  matter to you where this train will  take you?” The line was delivered  by Mal and later repeated by Cobb.

After the film, I pondered  the possible meanings of the theme of trains. Here were the conclusions I came to: The train is a symbol of journey. The journey through dreams,  life,  and love. For Mal, she wanted nothing more than to ride “the  train” away with Cobb to a deeper level of love and reality. The train is a symbol of control. Cobb consistently tries to control  his fate. Mal tries to control Cobb with the analogy of the train. 

Fischer tries to control his mind by using the train as a defense. The train is a symbol to contrast and emphasize human frailty. I  think, more than the other symbols, this is the most prevalent one. For  much of the movie, the idea of Cobb losing control continues to arise, revealing his frailty as a person. In many of the high-intensity
scenes  in which the trains are prevalent, the characters have little  control  over the outcome and are at the disposal of their surroundings. Cobb, in the beginning of the film mentions he “hates trains.” Of  course he does, the trains exploit his frailty and point out his lack of control."

Source (emphasis mine)

Ladies and gentlemen of the court. I will this week attempt to prove beyond a  reasonable doubt that the choices given to Shepard in the decision chamber is an ultimatum from the reapers that mirrors the ultimatum  given to John Proctor in the play "the crucible", that is of submission  or death and the train sounds represents Shepard's loss of control.  Furthermore the imagery from the decision chamber prove that it is an  overlay of what is happening to Shepard in reality. I will argue that  the words "catayst" and "inception" have overlapping meanings and the  decision chamber is the inception process that allows the reapers to  finalize Shepard's indoctrination.

Modifié par smokingotter1, 23 juillet 2012 - 01:14 .

[Nightingale]

byne wrote...

DrTsoni wrote...

Ah, nice. You have a point with Nova. That's the reason if I play Vanguard I use Human but...I don't know, playing as a Phantom just seems fun. I've only been doing Gold and Platinum lately and I have to say I'm impressed with the new characters. Good luck with Fury, she's actually a really fun character. I've been using the new ones almost exclusively and almost always get to extraction with her. Teleporting through walls is fun. It's almost like playing as a Banshee, minus the whole grab-you-through-walls-and-murder-you thing

I think the Shadow is much more phantom like than the Slayer. I mean, it uses the phantom model and has invisibility.

Nova allows me to take on tons of enemies at once.

I only died on gold after the geth finally managed to outnumber me.

Human vanguards count as enough people that they are only outnumbered when attacked by two primes, three pyros, and two hunters at once. Anything less than that is easy. And even then, they only got me down because they closed in around me and left me no room to roll.

Lol yeah, I'd say that was a bit unfair, ganging up on you like that. I'd just take the lazy way out and Missile them all. If you just ChargeNova everything, you probably wouldn't even need to switch back to a weapon, just keep that out. I'm sure if you're with randoms, they'll love that

I don't have the Shadow, either. RNG is trolling me, I just know it.

[paxxton]

smokingotter1 wrote...

paxxton wrote...

smokingotter1 wrote...

*snip*

Looking forward to your proof. The way you put it (sociology major apparently pays off) makes it seem like a great read is coming up soon. 

I hope so... man it took me an embarrasingly long time to do a simple audio edit. IT is forcing me to learn some computer skills.

Try Audacity for all things audio.

[TSA_383]

 

SwobyJ wrote...

Also agreed smokingotter1. We're cracked the case, maybe

It's quite possible that what is happening in the Crucible, is still happening, IN A WAY, not in a dream. That there is still a Crucible scenario, but it is a lot less....mystical in 'reality'. No ghost child. No red, blue, and green. THIS is all in Shepard's mind.

It could also fit the idea that Shepard has been in some tiny tiny form of indoctrination since the Lazarus Project.
Most of ME2 = Very very very tiny influence, only doing things like allowing Shepard to rationalize working with Cerberus, etc. Very innocent, and Shepard's reasoning is still 99% sound.

Arrival = The trigger point, even if you forget about the Lazarus Project as it could be wrong. Arrival is direct and continuous exposure to Reaper artifact, weakening Shepard's apparent 'immunity' to indoctrination. It also opens him up to mental warfare, starting with slight mental fatigue and ....the Earth child.

Thessia = The next trigger, it being the effect of defeat on Shepard's mind. The pinhole in his mind is now a door, left only slightly ajar. Everything after Thessia is suspect - happening yet not happening. The Cerberus Base stuff almost certainly happened, but certain aspects of it (like architecture etc stuff noted by IT theorists) may be important or changed as we get more single player DLC (like Leviathan) that could illuminate some things.

Earth = We're now not in the dream, but in a partial sleepwalk. Everything IS happening, but the door ajar has now become an open door, and plenty of things are 'not right', as Vega would say. Earth is where things get quite serious, as Shepard is now NOW the mentally competent person he was even prior to this and especially Thessia.

Citadel = The door is now an open gate. Shepard is there, so is Anderson, and TIM, but you cannot trust ANYTHING at this point. It is ALL a 'version' of events, and you might even be in a Reaper-facility for all we know, surrounded by Reaper tech without even realizing it. Shepard is STILL strong here, however, and able to stop TIM. You're all suffering however, which is why Anderson can be paralyzed by something you never would think is possible (Reaper tech does this? Um...), etc. You're ALL under indoctrination, except Anderson is most capable of resisting it.

Crucible = The open gate is now ...well, there's nothing now. It's pure indoctrination flowing into your/Shepard's mind. This is the test. Do you succumb, even partially? (Control would be 'partially' depending on EMS, IMO), or do you retain your will and end the Reapers once and for all?

Agreed entirely.

Something I think which is important to note.
Going from Thessia to Cronos, the final romance scene starts with Shepard holding the helmet that comes to be symbolic of his/her death or survival at the very end.
"I think I heard the casing crack in that last fight"

At this point something is VERY clearly broken in Shepard's mind. If I had to pick a point at which the downward spiral starts in full force, this would be it. 

smokingotter1 wrote...

DrTsoni wrote...

byne wrote...

So, I finally got over my irrational fear that I'd suddenly forget how to use a vanguard if I started using my vanguard in gold instead of exclusively in silver, and I've gotta say, I much prefer my human vanguard to any other character on gold.

I like being able to be out in the middle of the action tearing things to shreds instead of hiding behind cover and popping my head out every once in a while.

Anyhow, whats goin on in here?

Have you tried the Slayer yet? I'm still trying to get him and Shadow (dropped a few million credits already) but the RNG doesn't want to play with me <_<

Anyway, I'd like to know if there's anything interesting/new, too. I haven't been on in several days.

I have a long post above, (probably too long) but here is the tl;dr:

I've added the catalyst 2 song sped up about 300%. Try to tell when the train sounds stops and the catalyst 2 song beings. Video is here. My first youtube upload and audio edit.

Puts this photo into context, the control handles resemble common train control handles.

Good call on the Inception/Train/Control reference 

Also that audio comparison is cool as hell. I'd be very curious to know if it's intentional.